Illegal movement of cigarettes on the Ukrainian border is an offense to which our legislation is one of the most loyal.

Illegal movement of cigarettes on the Ukrainian border is an offense to which our legislation is one of the most loyal.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine constantly supports initiatives to return criminal liability for smuggling goods, especially excisable groups, primarily tobacco products.

 “It is necessary to establish stricter responsibility for attempts to smuggle goods. As soon as someone is jailed, violators will think about whether it is worth risking their freedom for money,” said Serhii Deineko, Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

He noted that the criminalization of articles for such actions, especially when they are committed on a large or large scale, will significantly reduce the number of people willing to be engaged in illegal fishing.

“Administrative liability does not deter violators from engaging in illegal transactions.  In addition, the illegal movement of goods across the state border of Ukraine leads to a negative economic aspect, reduced revenues to the State budget and, in addition, harms the image of our country,” - said the head of the border department.

It should be noted that the abolition of criminal liability for smuggling of goods has led to a significant increase, and of some groups - especially. Only last year, the State Border Guard Service prevented the movement of 12 million packs of tobacco products and about 50,000 liters of vodka.

A fine, equivalent to $ 300, is not an effective tool for criminals, who sometimes try to bribe border guards. The other day, the agency's internal security exposed two border guards who, for an illegal benefit of $ 800 and $ 900, volunteered to facilitate the illegal movement of tobacco products. But there were cases when larger sums were offered. Criminals don't just bribe border guards, also threaten them with pressure and coerce them to engage in unlawful activities with the population.

Developed countries with strong economies and high levels of law enforcement often have strict legal controls on smugglers. Among the countries where there is criminal liability for smuggling, there are many European countries, including Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Finland.

For example, in the UK, smuggling of goods is considered as dangerous crime.  The offender faces up to 7 years imprisonment. In Ireland, the average fine for smuggling tobacco products is $ 2,830 and up to five years' imprisonment. In Poland, if this is a repeated offence and the person is a citizen of Poland, she will face expulsion of  passport, which has a visa for travel outside the EU.

In Ukraine, however, the organizers of smuggling channels appear to be unpunished. The criminals evolve and become more aggressive - they use powerful technology, piloted and unmanned aircraft, surveillance equipment, try to influence the controlling bodies, and criminalization of commodity smuggling, especially of the crime group, can stop this process.